Pinterest

Monday, December 26, 2011

Late on Christmas night, I was feeling crafty after spending about 2 hours on Pinterest....I'm soooo addicted!!! I bought some picture frames from my cousin and originally painted some lines in the color I want to decorate my living space with. It looked very amateur, I am an amateur painter so there's no surprise there! For this project I re-purposed the frames, found some scrapbook paper I had on hand and used some stencils. Instead of painting, I used the actual stencils. Our last name has a different paper than our firsts. My husband and I have the same first initial so I doubled ours in one frame and each of our children have their own. This was super easy, sooo much better than my "paintings" and gave me a great sense of accomplishment! Woo-Hoo, my first home decor :) Hope you like the idea!

I'm going to expand my blog's focus. I'm not getting a lot of feedback that others share my interest in couponing and finding great deals so I want to expand to money saving projects. More or less this is for me to track what I've accomplished and it gives me the links I'll need to post on Pinterest. In no way am I expecting to be "copied" but it will make it easier to share my projects with friends and family. I still enjoy couponing and sharing the deals I find but I've been reposting finds via Facebook. Posting to my blog got to be a lot. So I hope if you come across this you will gain something out of it :) Happy Saving!!

Friday, September 23, 2011

Click HERE to get $20 in Mega Bloks coupons just by signing up for their newsletter! These are GREAT gifts for kids! Think beyond Christmas too. If you have a couple on hand you won't have to do a dash to Walmart to pick up a gift for a birthday party!

Saturday, September 17, 2011

Here are the coupon match-up's for Target this week. There are good deals on granola bars and hand soap refills. Not a lot this week but this is only based off their ad. Hopefully you can find some great stuff on their clearance end caps!

Here are this week's coupon deals at Walgreens! There is a pretty good deal on Aussie or Herbal Essence hair care product, only $1!!! There are some other hair care products at a good price, kotex items, tummy issue medicine, kids' cold and cough, blistex, glade products are all a great deal too!
Start thinking of Christmas. If you could get an assortment of beauty products together, you could give friends and family a beauty basket! What woman wouldn't want hair products, nail polish, lip balm, hair spray....throw a bag of candy in there are you are ready! Also watch for home scents. I picked up some Febreeze plug in's for free at Walmart. When the scents go on sale I'll have a great addition to the baskets! All for around $10 per person!

Friday, September 9, 2011

Today and tomorrow only, get the Huggies Little Movers Jean Diapers for only $5 at Babies R Us. If you have the $2 off any Huggies diapers from the 8/14 Smart Source insert you can get them for only $3!! Remember that Walmart price matches if you have a Babies R Us in your area. Bring their ad!! FYI - Walmart had these marked down about a month ago so not sure they will have any left!

Thursday, September 8, 2011

Quick Rundown of Shopping at Walgreen's. Attached below is a link for more details. Thought I would put this out for you guys so if you have any questions we can go a little more in detail if you like. And it's 11pm ;)

RR = Register Rewards These are manufacturer coupons printed from a separate printer and are to be used on your next shopping trip. Certain products offer RR. See your local flyer found in the front of the store or at the register for what products have RR that week.

1. Only 1 RR per offer printed per transaction
ex: $1.00 RR wyb (when you buy) 1 shampoo. You can not buy 3 shampoo's in one transaction and get 3 $1 RR. You will need to buy one at a time.

2. You can NOT pay for an item that offers a RR with the RR you just got from that same item on the previous transaction
ex: you gain $1 RR from the purchase of a shampoo. If you use that RR to pay for a 2nd shampoo on your next transaction the system will not print a RR.

3. Remember, RR are manuf coupons. Wags (Walgreen's) coupon policy states the coupon to items purchase have to be the same. If you buy 3 items and have 3 coupons the register will not allow you to pay with a RR since it is considered a manuf coupon. To get around this, you need a "filler" item. A "filler" is an inexpensive item to get your coupon to item ratio the same. Look for their weekly deals on the front of their flyers. $0.09 hilighters, $0.11 folders... If I see something on mark down like baby food or something else I know I need I usually get that. *catch* Your $1/2 items does not count as a 1 coupon to 2 items ratio. The coupon is "attached" to both items thru the bar code. *bouns* the coupons in their weekly flyer do not count as a coupon against your ratio so this will make for better "filler" options!

4. Look at your RR. If it says issued by P&G you will not be able to pay with it and get a RR from another P&G item offering a RR
ex: You buy shampoo made by P&G and it gives you a $1 RR issued by P&G. Now a toothpaste made by P&G is offering a RR wyb 1. If you use the shampoo RR it will not print another. Even though it's a completely different item, it's determined by who issues it.

5. You may stack a Wag's coupon with a manuf coupon. Look at their beauty counter and by the front door for coupon booklets.

Here is KCL's Walgreen's 101 shopping advice. (click on the Walgreen's 101 "tab" a couple of banner's down. Also watch the video, it helps a lot!!) I hope all of this helps, it can be confusing. Don't hesitate to ask questions, it's how I learned and it's how we'll teach others!

Found this link on TLC about the top 10 marked up items at the Grocery Store. The one I avoid the most is #1, pre-cut veggies. I find the whole mushrooms and cut them myself. I found red peppers on sale for $0.99 a piece, bought 5 and sliced them at home and froze them in separate baggies. Whenever I want to add them to a meal they are ready at 60 seconds or so in the skillet. Also watch out for frozen chcicken vs. fresh. Very often you can find the fresh cheaper than frozen. You're paying for convenience. Hand-trimmed chicken vs regular chicken can be over a $1 difference per pound. It all adds up. Don't believe me? Bring a calculator to the grocery store and write down some prices, the proof is on the wall.

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

This is an awesome explanation of BOGO coupons! Even if you think you know all there is about a BOGO, read this anyway! I'm sure you'll find something new to you. There's even visual explanation. Huge thank you to the ladies at KrazyCouponLady.com 80% of what I have learned from the internet has been from these ladies and the questions/answers from their blog fans.

If you have a CVS close by you'll want to do a little research. They have an awesome rain check policy and just like Walgreens, they have a lot of money making/free items. The ladies at KCL have done their homework and have put together a CVS 101 rundown and a some videos (these help A LOT). Click HERE to check out their CVS site. Let me know if you do any shopping there and if you learned anything new!

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Next to all the other dish tablets, find the 3 pack trial size $0.97. Use the $1/1 Cascade (no size restrictions). Not only do you get the item for free, but Walmart's coupon policy states if there is an overage from your coupon to the item, you can apply that amount to either other items in your cart or the overage goes to the customer (from my personal experience, I would apply it to other items in your cart).

According to hip2save.com, CVS has their Soft Skin with Shea Butter Huggies Baby Wipes on clearance for as low as $0.84. If you have the $0.50/1 coupon from the 8/14 SS (smart source) then they wipes become $0.34 a tub! Make sure you have them price check them first because some regions are not on sale or they are priced around $1.50. Even at that price, pair the sale with the coupon and you have cheap wipes!!! Hurry, these things go fast!

Starting 9/11/11 Walgreens will have their 5.5-8.75oz Chex Mix and Bugles on sale for $0.99. That's a good price...but use a coupon and it goes down to $0.49! An even better price! Print them now, coupons are not available all month long. There is a set number they will allow to print then they take them off the sights. Here's the rundown

Remember to use different zip codes if you can't find the coupon you're looking for. Try 90210 and 12345. If you live in a smaller area, use a big city zip code for potential higher value coupon. Find zip codes here.

Also remember about KCL's stock up price icons. If you find something at a 3 month stock up price you're doing pretty good! My advice is: unless you need it, only buy the items they have marked as a 3 month or 6 month stock up price.

This is an easy freebie! Become a fan of Aquafresh on Facebook and you can print a $1 off any Aquafresh Extreme Clean Toothpaste. Head over to the travel section and find the Aquafresh for only $0.97 so it's actually a $0.03 moneymaker! Don't forget, Walmart's coupon policy says if you have a negative balance, they owe you the difference. Now you can wait in line for a $0.06 gift card (since you will be using 2 coupons) or you can apply that overage to another product in your cart. Trust me, you don't want to have a negative balance, management does not know what to do and it takes forever! That will be a story for another day.

Remember, if the website comes up as "bricks.coupons.com" to hit the back button a couple of times (slowly) once your coupon starts to print and you can get a second coupon! See my Coca Cola blog post for detailed instructions.

I just received an email from OshKosh B'gosh about the LAST DAY big clearance sale. Take an additional 30% off their clearance items! Only $6 s&h
This is a great time to stock up on summer clothes for you kids next year. I usually get 2 sizes larger just in case there's a growth spurt before the season. Either way they will fit at one point! Buy now and put in a large plastic storage bin and mark with what size you are storing. Then when you get anything in that size just toss them in the bin! Save money now and it will save you even more in the future!!

I avoid the sodas and water at the check out lane when shopping at Walmart or the grocery stores because they are so expensive! Here is a coupon that will make it easier on your wallet! It's not an amazing final price but might justify the impulse buy :) A bottle of Coke is $1.48 at Walmart so this will make each bottle only $0.98 when you buy (wyb) 2!

***Here is a known couponer secret on bricks.coupons.com***
If you click on a link to print a coupon and the address bar starts with "bricks" you can print only one. After it prints you can't go back to that site to print again. *SECRET* Once the coupon starts to print, hit the back button on your browser 2-3 times (give it some time in between clicks) and the computer to printer icon will come up again and you can get a 2nd coupon!!!

Saturday, September 3, 2011

Target will have several fun board games on sale starting tomorrow for only $12. Pair up this great deal with a $4 off coupon found on Coupons.com and it makes a game only $7! Pretty good price for a kid's birthday present or buy now and save for a Christmas present! Don't rule out travel size games too! Some Walmart stores have travel Connect 4 for only $5.24 so with coupon it would be only $1.24!!!
Scrabble (original), Life, Connect 4, Operation, Sorry, Battleship, Twister.

Thanks FrugalGals.net for the idea!! Just wish I had a Target close by.

Here are the coupon match-ups for Target this upcoming week. Some good prices on razors, diapers and hair items! Big thanks to KCL for all their hard work. If you need explanation on how to read their match up, see my Walgreen's post here.

Some of you might wonder why I bought 7 bottles of bbq when I only needed 1. It's simple, to add to my stockpile. I was able to get each bottle of KC Masterpiece for $0.50 when they retail for $2.39. My store had them on sale for $1 and I had 7 MQ's for $0.50/1.
Items go on sale in cycles. BBQ may not be at that price for another 3-6 months. If I buy only 1 right now, when I need another in 2 months I would have to spend the $2.39, I don't think so. The point of buying multiples is simple, get it cheap now so you don't have to pay for it later...pun intended.
There are many other reasons: job loss, helping family or friends, or donating to shelters.
TheKrazyCouponLady has given us more reasons as well. If you'd like to check them out click here.

I love Walgreens because of their Register Rewards. Now those of you in KC are limited on Register Rewards because they are doing a test market where you get a card and accumulate points, then redeem those points for gift cards. If you are new to register rewards or couponing at Walgreens click here for a explanation, it does get a little confusing.

TheKrazyCouponLady.com is really good at matching up the coupons for us and letting us know what is a great deal. Look for their stock up price icons next to the items with great prices.

- 3 month stock up price: this is typically 75% off retail and is a good idea to get about a 3 months supply.

- 6 month stock up price: this is typically 90% off retail. When you find something at this price it's a great idea to get a decent amount.

Before you check out their match up's, let me explain how they (KCL) lists the deals.

Electrasol, 20 pk or Jet-Dry, 8.45 oz $3.99 (this is the item and the sale price)

Pay as low as $3.34, Receive $1.50 Register Reward (out of pocket (oop) expense is $3.34 but you'll gain a $1.50rr)Final Price: $1.84 (you can't apply the rr you gained to purchase the item but they subtract what you gained from what you paid)

Here is a crash course on how to shop at Walgreens. For a bit more detail head over to the KCL's Walgreens 101. They also have a video that really helped me understand the policies.

Walgreens offers Register Rewards (RR) on some of their items. A RR is a manufacturer coupon (MQ) printed from a separate printer and is printed when your receipt is printed. At times you only need to buy 1 of somthing and you'll get a RR.

Now you know what they are, here's how to use them. Walgreen's coupon policy states you must have an equal number of MQ and items you are purchasing. Ex: you have 3 shampoos, 3 MQ's you clipped from the paper and you want to pay with a RR you gained from a previous purchase. This means you have a 3:4 ratio and you'll need to purchase one more item. This is where "filler" items come into the picture. Fillers are inexpenseive items such as a folder, hilighter or a piece of candy. The cheaper the better. At times you can get these items for as low as $0.10. Now your ratio is 4:4 and you're good to go!

Here is how to obtain the most RR you can. If an item is offering a RR when you buy only 1 of them, you can not buy 3 all at once and get 3 RR. Ex: Buy one lip gloss for $1.50 get a $1.50 RR. You can buy only one at a time to get the RR. This is why multiple transactions are done. You can do 3 separate transactions and walk out with 3 items and 3 RR. *Important* You can NOT use RR from your first transaction to pay for the same item on your second transaction, it will not print another RR. Ex: You gained a RR from your lip gloss purchase and you want another one. When it's time to pay for the 2nd gloss, don't use the RR you gained from purchasing your first gloss, a RR will not print. I hope I haven't confused you.

If you have ANY questions please let me know. You can actually make money at Walgreens with RR. Ex: lip gloss $1.50 and get a $1.50 when you buy (wyb) 1. You have a coupon for $0.50 off the lip gloss. You pay $1.00 oop (out of pocket) and you leave with $1.50 in RR which you can use to buy your next great deal! Watch what the RR say though. If the lip gloss is a Proctor & Gamble item (the RR will say what it's from) you can not use that RR to buy another P&G item and expect a RR. Now I've really confused you. Please post any questions you may have! :)

I LOVE these coupons and it's time for a new book. Go here to request a Proctor and Gamble Gather Together coupon book. You can request one every 30 days and it takes about 4-6 weeks for delivery. *tip* bookmark the link and when you get yours in the mail, request a new one! There are over $35 in coupons and include Cascade, Swifer, Febreeze and many other P&G products. *reminder* set up a separate gmail account to use when you sign up for samples or coupons so you don't clutter up your regular email account.

Friday, September 2, 2011

Did you know that you can get free samples from Walmart.com? Right now you can get a sample of Dove go Fresh spray and it will come with a $1 off coupon! I've set up a separate gmail account for free samples so I don't overload my everyday email account.

Several of you have become "friends" of some crock pot pages so I thought I would share this eCookbook from mrfood.com. I own a crock pot, and I know where it is, and I know how to turn it on, I just don't use it! But some of these recipes look easy and really good! Seems the hardest part will be getting my husband to eat some of it! If you know of any good recipes, share them or the link with us!

I'm missing my craft stores but for those of you lucky to have a Michaels around, here is a 50% off one item coupon for you! There are some other great coupons on the same page too. You should be able to print as many as you want but read the fine print. "one coupon per customer per day" and they are only valid on certain days. If you have a store close to you, make a couple of stops in order to get a great deal on some cute Fall decor! Thanks to TheKrazyCouponLady.com for the heads up!

TheKrazyCouponLady.com has found some free Simply Orange and Lemonade at Walmart and Walgreens. Go to coupons.com and put 90210 in the zip code. Find the $1 off Simply variety. You can print one per computer.
Find the single serve oj or lemonade at Walmart for $1.
At Walgreens look for the 13.5oz on sale for $0.99 thru 9/3.

Thursday, September 1, 2011

So what's the best price for bananas right now? If you saw them for $0.79/lb would you buy them? Depending on your region the answer is NO! In my area bananas are usually at their lowest price at $0.57/lb. I've really started to pay attention to the prices of produce since I very rarely find a coupon on any produce. Luckily enough, the fabulous women of TheKrazyCouponLady.com have compiled an extensive list to help us know what price goal we should try to get to. They base their prices to a 3 month and 6 month stock up price. The 3 month price is about 75% off retail and the 6 month price is 90+% off retail. Feel free to print this, bookmark it and save it to your computer.

FrugalGals.net posted that Walmart might have dropped their price on 5 pack 100 page composition books to $0.40. That's an amazing price! I use these to make out my lists for shopping. I like that I can still write on them when I'm at the store and I don't need a clipboard.

I've started saving great school items like this for my children. It's years till they start but toss the stuff in a big plastic bin and when it comes time to start you'll be a step ahead. They also make for cheap coloring books!

I found this site, SaveMore.com They post one awesome deal per day, so it's similar to Groupon.com but for actual items. Here's the breakdown on how it works. What you are buying from SaveMore.com is similar to a gift card. They will email you a voucher with a "coupon code" and you do the shopping yourself on the site where the deal is to. Ex: You buy a $20 voucher for only $10 to bestbuy.com Once you receive the email, go to bestbuy.com and shop for $20 worth of product. Enter the voucher/coupon code during checkout and it will take $20 off your total. Each deal is a little different so make sure you read each one. The voucher usually does not cover s&h so keep that in mind. Today they are offereing $18 worth of reusable bags for only $9 via http://www.reusablebags.tv/ **BONUS** if you sign up you get a $10 credit so these bags would cost you only s&h, around $4. You can use the credit later for somthing else if you like.

We all love free stuff and most of us like our birthdays. What better idea than to combine the two?!? Check out this extensive list of links where you can sign up and celebrate your birthday on a budget!

Wednesday, August 31, 2011

A relative suggested I start a FB page with money saving and coupon links since I post things from time to time on my own page. At first I blew it off because there are soooo many already doing that, it's where I get all of my info from. But then I got to thinking, a lot of my friends think I'm crazy for couponing,If I can get them to look at some of the things I see/benefit from, maybe they will start to look at shopping differently too. I look back at how I shopped before coupons and think...what the hell was I doing? I paid $4 for a loaf of bread without even thinking about it!! Now if it's not under $2 I don't buy it (when it is under $2 I get a couple of loaves and freeze what we don't use, but we'll talk about that more later). So friends and family, I hope you can get some insight from my experiences. Or at least get a kick out of what I get excited about....SAVING MONEY!!! Thank you to Connie for talking me into starting this and thank you Aggie for opening my eyes to couponing and starting me off on the path! :)